A1 Power Winder

Does anyone use the power winder as a grip only with no batteries? I like the vertical placement of the shutter release but am wondering if winding on with the advance lever is putting too much pressure on anything. I've only tried it once to ascertain the shutter releases work.

Responses

Using the lever to wind instead of a mounted MA motordrive (which is what you taking about not a winder as no winder has a vertial shutter release) Will have no effect on the camera. All it does is turn the gears in the motordrive it will be a little harder to wind but unless you really reef on the winder I can see no problems.
And no I have never used it just as a grip. I have a Pair of T-90's for that LOL.

I use the Motor Drive MA on my AE-1P and A-1 often without batteries and love the vertical shutter release and it winds on just find (manually of course). The MA adds very little weight if used without 12 AA batteries and is very ergonomic. My F1N's use winders but I always keep lithium batteries in them and they work and work and work.

It should be noted for anybody thinking of using (or trying to use) the Power Winder FN on the A-1, that the FN winder is made for the Canon F-1N ONLY.
Didn't say you could use it on an A1-- just gave a counterexample to the statement that power winders (as opposed to motordrives) don't have vertical shutter buttons.

I've quite often used both the power winder and the MA motor drive on my A1 with the drive turned off with no problems at all. When I get near the end of the roll, I like to rely on manual wind so that there's no risk of the motor ripping the film off the pay-off spool.
If I just wanted the vertical release on the MA, I'd just attach the unit that screws into the camera base and leave the batteries and their container off. You would save on carrying that empty volume around and the plastic construction of the battery holder seems a bit fragile, especially when empty, compared to the rest of the kit. That way you can always clip the whole shooting match back together in a flash and have full motor drive capability very quickly.

Oops, sorry I was wrong. Wayne - I've just fished out my motor drive and yes indeed the vertical release button is attached to the battery pack and not the slim base plate with the additional horizontal release button. You need the empty battery pack to get the vertical shutter release